Terminal apparatus and image information server

• US 7,436,431 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Adachi, Makoto, Shimizu, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILIPPE, GIMS S
• Application Number:
  US10/766,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20040252192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/149, 348/157, 348/143, 340/435, 340/436, 701/35, 701/213
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

On a vehicle, such as a car, etc., a camera, a navigation, communication function are mounted, and an image picked up from the car is uploaded to a server. Road information uploaded from each the car is collected up to the server. Each the car downloads the information existing in the server at the time when it is running. With provision of such the system, the car itself can confirm the condition of a spot through which it will pass from now, by using the information which is picked up by other car passing through that spot just before.

Claims

1. A terminal apparatus, comprising:

a position measuring means for measuring a present position of a car;

an image pick-up means being able to pick up an image of a front or a rear of the car;

a transmitting means for transmitting the image picked up by said image pick-up means, together with the position information, to an image information server for managing a database of image information being indicative of condition of a road;

a receiver means for receiving image picked up by other terminal being mounted on other car from said image information server;

a display means for displaying said image received thereon; and

an input device which receives information indicating importance of the image picked up by the image pick-up means;

wherein;

a place or a timing of picking up an image by said image pick-up means is controlled from said image information server,

if information indicating importance of the image picked up by the image pick-up means is received by the input device, the transmitter transmits notice information to the image information server so that the image information server distributes the image with priority.

2. An information obtaining system, comprising:

an image information server which stores image information and distributes the stored image information;

a beacon which is located near a road; and

a terminal which is mounted on a car, the terminal has a camera being able to pick up the periphery of the car, a beacon receiver which receives information transmitted by the beacon, a transmitter which transmits image information picked up by the camera, an input device which receives information indicating importance of the image information picked up by the camera, a receiver which receives image information picked up by other terminal being mounted on other car from the imaqe information server, and a display which displays the received image information;

wherein, when the beacon receiver receives image pick-up request information from the beacon, the camera picks up the periphery of the car and the transmitter transmits an image information picked up by the camera;

wherein, if information indicating importance of the image information picked up by the camera is received by the input device when the transmitter transmits the image information.

3. The information obtaining system according to claim 2, wherein the beacon transmits image pick-up request information when the beacon receives an instruction of requesting a start of picking up of an image from the image information server.

4. A terminal being mounted on a car and able to communicate with an image information server and a beacon, the image information server stores image information and distributes the stored image information, the beacon which is located near a roads comprising:

a camera being able to pick up the periphery of the car;

a receiver which receives information transmitted by the beacon;

a transmitter which transmits image information picked up by the camera; and

an input device which receives information indicating importance of the image information picked up by the camera, a receiver which receives image information picked up by other terminal being mounted on other car from the image information server, and a display which displays the received image information;

wherein, when the beacon receiver receives image pick-up request information from the beacon, the camera picks up the periphery of the car and the transmitter transmits an image information picked up by the camera;

wherein, if information indicating importance of the image information picked up by the camera is received by the input device when the transmitter transmits the image information.